A French appeals court in Nîmes has added a year to the prison sentence of the only man who appealed his conviction for raping Gisèle Pelicot, a woman drugged and assaulted over several years by her husband and numerous men he recruited online.
Husamettin Dogan, 44, was initially sentenced to nine years in prison last December after being found guilty of aggravated rape. However, after contesting the ruling, the court increased his sentence to 10 years, rejecting his claim that he was unaware Pelicot had been drugged and could not consent.
The horrific case involved Pelicot, now 72, who was rendered unconscious by her husband Dominique and subjected to years of abuse by dozens of men. Police uncovered the crime after finding explicit videos that Dominique had recorded of the assaults.
During the appeal, Dogan maintained his innocence, arguing that he, too, was a victim and had been “trapped” by Dominique Pelicot. Public prosecutor Dominique Sié dismissed this defence, saying Dogan had refused to accept responsibility for his actions in what she described as “a massive act of destruction of a woman that denied her humanity.”
Although Dogan was detained before the initial trial, he has not served time since his conviction. Of the 51 men sentenced in the original case, 17 initially appealed but later withdrew, leaving Dogan as the only one to follow through.
The appeal hearing was conducted before a jury of nine citizens and three professional judges. Evidence from the first trial, including the disturbing videos of Pelicot’s abuse, was replayed. In the footage, she could be heard snoring—showing she was unconscious and unaware of what was happening.
Despite this, Dogan continued to insist that he did not commit rape. “I performed a sexual act, I never raped anyone,” he said in court. “For me, rape means forcing someone, tying them up, I don’t know… I am a victim.”
Taking the stand for the first time since the original verdict, Gisèle Pelicot told the court, “I am the only victim,” and denied ever giving consent. She said she first saw Dogan’s face when she watched the videos of her assault. “The first time I saw his face was when I saw the videos of him raping me. They are forever etched in my memory.”
Pelicot’s husband, Dominique, testified as a witness during the appeal and admitted that all the men he invited online knew his wife would be drugged. He told the court he had explicitly informed Dogan that he was seeking “someone to abuse my sleeping wife without her knowledge.”
During her testimony, Gisèle recalled how she had suffered unexplained neurological symptoms and memory loss, unaware that her husband had been drugging her for years. “You don’t understand that this was rape,” she told Dogan directly. “When will you admit that it’s a crime? I am ashamed for you.”
Her daughter, Caroline Darian, has also accused Dominique Pelicot of abusing her after photographs of her unconscious were discovered on his computer. The two women are reportedly estranged and Darian did not attend this week’s hearing.
“My family is trying to rebuild itself however it can,” Gisèle said. “I hope [Caroline] finds the answers she is looking for. I hope one day we can find each other again.”
Despite being viewed as a symbol of courage for exposing her story to the public, Gisèle told the court she does not want to be seen as an icon. “I am an ordinary woman who dared to open up her trial. I have become an icon against my will,” she said.
In her closing remarks, she encouraged other survivors of sexual violence not to bear guilt for the crimes committed against them. “I want to say to them to never be ashamed of what was inflicted upon us, because it is not their fault,” she said.